Bree Newsome is Our Hero for Her Amazing Effort to Take Down the Confederate Flag

activism June 27, 2015

Despite calls from activists and public officials for the removal of the Confederate flag in South Carolina and across the south, it still flies more than a week after the killing of nine men and women at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston.

Saturday morning, activist Bree Newsome scaled the flag pole at the South Carolina state capitol where the Confederate flag flies. The action was planned ahead of a rally in support of the flag that later took place.

Crowd of people wielding the #ConfederateFlag growing. #TakeItDown supporters outnumbered for now. #sctweets #wis10 pic.twitter.com/Kq5lR0AEOG
— Chad Mills (@ChadMillsWIS) June 27, 2015

Crowd shouting: "Fly it proud!" #ConfederateFlag #sctweets #wis10 pic.twitter.com/TFAZjbxZYt
— Chad Mills (@ChadMillsWIS) June 27, 2015

Bree successfully removed the flag, and was arrested for defacing a monument along with James Tyson, soon after.

This was an incredible, courageous showing of public protest! We salute you, Bree.

When you capture the flag of white supremacy and need to replenish that #BlackGirlMagic pic.twitter.com/mePTSqLHDq
— Ida B. Yomama (@ms_tjp) June 27, 2015